New, more prominent changes took place in the second half of the 18th century. At this time, the centre of Liberec consisted of brick houses in the classical style. The beginning of the 19th century saw the growth of the textile industry which brought about the development of industrial architecture. This fact lead to the town acquiring independent status. At that time, many representative edifices were built and lent the town a majesty corresponding to its importance - Liberec used to be, after Prague, the second biggest town in Bohemia. There were three consulates, 50 textile factories, and 60 factories connected with the metal industry, amongst which there were also those producing RAF cars.